Sound-recording and sound-reproducing instrument



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,627

F. KAY ET AL SOUND RECORDING AND SOUND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT Filed May24, 1924 Patented Jan. 31., 1928 UNITED STATES 1,657,627 PATENT OFFICE.

FRED KAY AND WILLIAM ERNEST CLIFTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TOCLIFTOPHONE LIMITED, 01? LONDON, ENGLAND, A'BRITISI-I COMPANY.

SOUND-RECORDING AND SOUND-BEPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

, Application filed May 24, 1924, Serial No. 715,606, and in GreatBritain May 31, 1923.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating tosound-recording and soundreproducing instruments and has for its objectto provide an improved mounting for a stylus-bar operating inconjunction with a diaphragm.

Sound-recording or sound-reproducing instruments of the typecontemplated by the present invention are well known in their use forexample with talking machines and consist broadly in a vibratorydiaphragm held within a casing in which the stylusbar is mounted withone of its ends connected to the diaphragm and the other end formed withor constructed to receive a stylus or needle.

According to one feature of the present invention means. for mounting astylus-bar comprises at least two spring blades each of which will beoperatively connected at its opposite ends respectively to the sound-boxcasing and to the stylus-bar with one of the blades arranged in orsubstantially parallel to a plane containing the stylusaxis,characterized by the other blade being so operatively connected to thestylus bar and to the sound-box casing (or a part connected therewith)that it will be in a lane which is transverse to that of the first bladeand a central line joining its ends by which it is held will be in theplane of the first blade or in a plane substantially parallel thereto,and will also be transverse to a central line joining the ends by whichthe said first blade is connected. It will be appreciated that with sucha mounting the blade which is so operatively connected will, as thestylus-bar rocks, be subjected to torsional stress.

Preferably in place of either one or both of the blades aforesaid two ormore blades respectively are employed lying in one and the same plane.

One preferred construction according to the invention will now bedescribed, by way of example only, with the aid of the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating acomplete unit comprising the stylus-bar and its spring mounting readyfor. attachment to a sound-box, and

Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the in vention applied to thesound-box.

Like reference numerals indicate like 55 parts in both figures of thedrawings.

The stylus-bar 1 is formed with or has connected to it a U-shaped yoke2. In the example illustrated, this yoke is formed at the extremity ofan extension 3 which is transverse to the length of thestylus-bar, andcomprises a needle or stylus socket. For thls purpose, a passage 4: isprovided to receive the end of the needle or stylus and a clampmg screw5 serves to hold the latter within the said passage.

One end of a. spring blade 6 is secured in the throat of the yoke 2. Twoother spring blades 7 are each secured between a limb of the yoke and anexternal abutment 8 which in use projects from the sound-box casing; Thetwo blades 7 extend in opposite directions laterally from the limbs ofthe yoke 2 and an imaginary line joining the ends of the blades by whichthey are, held respec tively. in the yoke 2 and abutment 8 is, as statedabove, transverse to the length of the stylusbar and is substantiallyparallel with what will be the plane of the diaphragm. Such an imaginaryline will, for the sake of brevity, be hereinafter referred to as a linejoining the ends by which the blades are connected or by an equivalentexpresson.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the two abutments 8 formpart of a bridge-piece 9 which is formed with lugs 10 .85 by which itmay be secured to a marginal wall 11 of the sound-box casing as shown inFigure 2. The stylus-bar spring blades and bridge-piece9 are thereforeassembled as an unitary structure ready to be attached to the sound-box.

If the end 12 of the stylus-bar 1, that is to say that end which is tobe. secured to the diaphragm, is secured directly to the latter orsubstantially in contact therewith, it is found advantageous to mountthe parts so that the two spring blades 7 aresubstantially in the planeof the diaphragm. Alternatively it may be found preferable, in someinstances, to so mount the parts that the spring blades 7 are notactually in the plane of the diaphragm but are in a plane parallel withand spaced away therefrom.

A feature of the invention therefore may be said to consist in astylus-bar mounting comprising two spring blades (or two sets of springblades) whereofone blade (or the blades of one set) is disposed in aplane at right-angles to the plane of the other blade (or. a planecontaining the blades of the 10 iii El l

the other blade is arranged in a plane which is transverse to that ofthe first blade and in such a manner that a central line join ing itsends by which it is held will be trans verse to a central line joiningthe ends by which the first blade is connected and will be substantiallyin the plane of the first said blade, both said central lines being alsotransverse to the length of the stylus bar.

8. For a sound box of the type described, means for mounting a stylusbar comprising at least two spring blades each operative ly connected atits opposite ends respectively to the sound box casing and to the stylusbar, one of which blades is arranged substantially in a plane containingthe stylus axis, and the other blade is arranged in a plane which istransverse to that of the first blade and in such a manner that acentral line joining its ends by which it is held will be substantiallyin the plane ot the diaphragm and transverse to a central line joiningthe ends by which the'first blade is connected and will also besubstantially in the plane of the first said blade.

9. For a sound box oi. the type described, means for mounting a stylusbar comprising a plurality of spring blades each of which is operativelyconnected at its opposite ends respectively to the sound b0 casing andto the stylus bar, one at least of which blades is arrangedsubstantially in a plane which contains the stylus axis and the otherblades are all arranged substantially in a plane which is transverse tothat of the first men tioned blade and are so arranged that a centralline joining the ends by which they are held will be transverse to acentral line joining the ends by which the first blade is connected andwill be substantially in the plane of the first blade.

10. For a sound box of the type described, means for mounting a stylusbar comprising in combination a U shaped yoke operatively connected withthe stylus bar, an abutment to be secured to the sound box, and aplurality of spring blades, one at least of which has one end connectedto the throat of said yoke, and at least two others are each securedbetween a limb of the yoke and the said abutment and are so arranged asto ex tend in opposite directions laterally from the limbs of the yokein such a manner that a central line joining the ends by which they areheld will be transverse to the length of the stylus bar and will besubstantially parallel to the plane of the first blade.

11. For a sound box of the type described, means for mounting a stylusbar comprising in combination a ll shaped yoke operatively connectedwith the stylus bar, an abutment to be secured to the sound box, and aplurality of spring blades, one at least of which has one end connectedto the throat of said yoke, and at least two others are each securedbetween a limb of the yoke and the said abutment and are so arranged asto extend in opposite directions laterally from the limbs of the yoke ina plane transverse to that of the first blade and in such a manher thata central line joining the ends by which they are held will be tansverse to the length of the stylus bar and will be substantiallyparallel to the plane oi? the first blade.

12. Means for mounting a stylus bar in a sound box of the typedescribed, said means comprising in combination a unitary structurecomprising a bridge piece to be secured to the sound box, a stylus barand at least two spring blades, each oi which blades is connected at itsopposite ends respectively to the bridge piece and to the stylus bar,with one of the blades so arranged that a central line joining its endsby which it is held is transverse to the stylus axis and to the lengthof the stylus bar and is substantially in the plane of the other blade,and said other blade is snibstantially in plane containing the stylusaxis,

13. Means for mounting a stylus bar 01 the type described, said meanscomprising in combination a. unitary structure comprising a bridge pieceadaptedto be secured to the sound box casing, a stylus bar and aplurality oi spring blades, each of which is con nected at its oppositeends respectively to the bridge piece and to the stylus bar, one of saidblades being so held that it lies substantially. in a plane containingthe stylus axis, and a plurality of blades being arranged substantiallyin one plane and so connected that a central line joining the ends bywhich they are held is transverse to the length of the stylus axis andto the stylus bar but is substantially in the plane of the first namedblade.

14.. Means for mounting a stylus bar of the type described, said meanscomprising in combination a unitary structure comprising a bridge pieceadapted to be secured to the sound box a stylus bar formed with a Ushaped yoke extension, and a plurality of spring blades, one of saidblades being held by its opposite ends respectively in the throat of theyoke and in the bridge piece and two other blades extending in oppositedirections laterally from the limbs of the yoke to the said bridge pieceand secured respectively at their ends in those parts, the parts beingso arranged that the plane of the first named blade is substantially ina plane containing the stylus axis, a plane containing the said othertwo blades is transverse to the plane of the first blade and a centralline joining the ends by which said two other blades are connected issubstantially in the plane of the first named blade but is transverse toa central line joining the ends by which the first named blade is held.

15. In or for a sound box of the type de- Ell) scribed, the combinationof a sound box easing, a diaphragm Within said casing, a stylus barconnected therewith and having at its outer end a U shaped yoke, anabutment on said soundbox casing, a spring blade connected at its endsrespectively to said abutment and to the throat oiiithe U shaped yokeand arranged in a plane which contains the stylus axis and is transverseto the length of the stylus bar, and two other spring blades extendinglaterally from opposite limbs of the yoke and connected each at its endsrespectively to a limb of the yoke and to the abutment aforesaid, saidtwo blades being substantially in one plane which is transverse to thatof the first blade and so arranged that a central line joining the endsby which they are connected will he in the plane of the first blade butwill be transverse to the stylus bar, to the stylus axis and to thecentral line: joining the ends by which the first named blade isconnected.

16. F or a sound box of the type described, stylus bar articulatingmeans com jirising in combination a recessed bridge pieccadapted to besecured to the sound box casing, a stylus bar contiguous with a U shapedyoke piece in the region of what will be the outer end of the stylus bara stylus recess in the region of that outer end, a spring blade whichisconnected at its ends respectively in the recess of the bridge pieceand in the throat of the U shaped yoke and is arranged substantially ina plane containing the axis of the stylus recess, and two other springblades extending late ally from opposite limbs of the yoke piece inopposite direc tions, each of said blades being conncctetl by its endsrespectively to the yoke piece from which it extends and to a lateralwall of the recess in the bridge piece and both said blades being soarranged in one plane, which is transverse to the plane of the firstblade, that a central line joining the ends by which those blades areconnected will be substantially in the plane of the first blade but willbe transverse to the length of? the .allylliti bar. to the axis of thestylus recess and to a central line joining the ends by which the firstnamed blade connected.

17. For a soundbor: oil? the type described, means for mounting a stylusbar comprising at least two spring blades disposed with their planes atright-angles to one another and each operatively connected at theiropposite ends respectively to the soundbox casing and to the stylus bar,one of said blades being flexed torsionally and the other lacing flexedlongitudinally by the n'lovement ol the stylus bar.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

FRED KAY. WVILLIAM ERNEST CLIFTON.

